Cyber-security: Are you secured?
What is it?
Cybersecurity can be defined as protecting someone or something against the criminal or unauthorized use of electronic data, or the measures taken to achieve this. We are constantly implementing security methods without even thinking about it. This includes when we lock our car, our home when leaving for work, keeping our keys in our pocket, etc. We typically don’t think about these basic security practices because we do them every day as a necessity. Cybersecurity is just as important, and we’re going to explain why!
Why is it important?
Cybersecurity is becoming more and more relevant as time passes. Nearly every major attack in the past 22 years was perpetrated by data theft and exfiltration to one extent or another. The Target hack in 2013 was carried out by hackers who hacked into Target’s systems via 3rd party software where nearly 40 million separate credit card accounts where compromised and over 70 million Target customers had their personal information stolen. Let’s not forget the Colonial Pipeline hack where Russian hackers compromised a major US pipeline for a week with data exfiltration and a ransomware attack the next day which left multiple states without oil. Cybersecurity is more about protecting data, it’s about protecting lives. 9/11 was perpetrated using data on the flight logs as well as constant electronic communication between the attackers. Another example is the water treatment plant attack in Florida where a hacker remoted into a water treatment plant’s main computer and increased sodium hydroxide levels by 11,000%, luckily the change was reversed after the hacker exited the remote session. Attacks are becoming more and more common through electronic means, and this means we need to be prepared for them just as much as we need to be prepared for any other threat.
Are you at risk?
All of us at every moment of every day are at risk of a cyberattack. We likely think to ourselves, “they won’t target me, I’m not a high value target” or “I don’t have anything they want”, but we couldn’t be further from the truth. Attackers want our data at all costs, in the year 2022, data is worth MORE than money. Third party companies will constantly sell our data which is often how we receive spam emails and other junk mail. Attackers can use our data not only for financial theft, but identity theft which is becoming more and more common. When we think about identity theft we typically only think of our data, but if our data is compromised, attackers can pose as us and attack our loved ones and exfiltrate data from them as well. So the next question is, what can we do to protect ourselves and our loved ones?
Protecting data: What are your options?
Cybersecurity is regularly performed by IT Security Professionals, but there are plenty things you can do to mitigate the risk of being the victim of an attacker! We have a list here for you that has been verified by our IT Security team and are tools we use to combat cyberattacks:
Regularly perform system updates
Never write down passwords
Store passwords in an encrypted file or USB with bitlocker
Update passwords every 3-6 months
Never save passwords in web browsers or on websites/apps
Never use the same password for multiple accounts
Never use the same email for multiple accounts
Use the following format to create reliable and secure passwords: Minimum 10 characters, no words, capital letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters and/or alt codes. Example: S@ncT1f!3D_7æ$
Use biometric authentication whenever possible
Always enable 2-factor authentication on your accounts
Always use a VPN when browsing the internet, cellular or Wi-Fi
NEVER click on popups, even closing them is hazardous
Use a VM to browse the internet, be aware VM escape can occur
Ensure your firewall is active and has secure configurations
Regularly scan your devices with reliable anti-malware programs
Regularly scan your devices with anti-virus programs
Never install applications from unverified sources, this includes sources such as web browsers vs the Google Play store
Do not click on unrecognized emails or messages
NEVER click on links from unrecognized emails or messages
Never divulge sensitive information to strangers over the phone regardless of who or what organization they say they’re with.
Always report spam mails and messages, let’s help each other!
When searching for web resources, go directly to that webpage and navigate to the resource you’re looking for. I.e. don’t search for ‘Amazon lightning deals’, instead go directly to the Amazon Shopping app and navigate to the lightning deals section
Change default configurations on your router
Rename your SSID and change the default password
Hide your SSID from being displayed
NEVER hand out your Wi-Fi password to guests
Separate your internal network from your guest network
If you learned or agreed with anything you’ve read here today, we ask for your support. Please visit our social pages and give us a follow as well as subscribing to our Patreon if you’re able to do so. All of which can be located at the top of our homepage. Thank you and God bless, Stay Sanctified!
